Because You Love Him
by LittleHellion
Summary: I'm sorry, Sarah.  Please, please don't hate me.  Fourth and final installment in my precursor series.


Disclaimer: I own. In fact, I pwn. But I don't own _Labyrinth. _Such a pity...

Note: This is the fourth and last installment in my precursor series. It also explains the part in the last one where I mentioned that Toby had seen Sarah's journal. He was _not _snooping. Well, not purposely.

* * *

"Sarah! Wait up!" 

Fourteen-year-old Toby Williams watched his sister turn toward the caller and roll her eyes.

"Hey, Bryson. What's up?"

Bryson Wood, Toby's old math teacher, jogged toward Sarah and sent her what he clearly thought was a brilliant, winning smile. Toby didn't buy it…and neither did Sarah, apparently.

"I just got the news – I'm going to be at the play on Saturday. I was wondering…do you have a date for the party?"

Toby had never really liked Mr. Wood, and this didn't help improve his opinion. What made him think he could ask Sarah to go with him on Saturday? It was a _cast _party. Mr. Wood wasn't part of it at all!

"Hmm…I do, actually."

Sarah didn't. Toby knew that for a fact.

Mr. Wood drooped a bit. "Oh…I guess I'll see you another time, then?"

"Sure," Sarah said kindly.

"Oh…can I ask who your date is?"

Sarah shrugged. "Sure, but I don't think you know him. He's a bit younger than me, but we're not in a relationship. More like…best friends."

_Huh?_

"Oh? Maybe I do know him. I know a lot of people. What's his name?"

"Tobias Wilhelm."

Toby nearly burst out laughing.

"Oh, I guess I don't know him. Well, I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Bye now."

Toby caught his sister's eye and raised an eyebrow. "So…I'm your date?"

"Of course," Sarah replied with a sickly-sweet grin.

"Wait…oh, Sarah, I know that look. No!"

"Aww, please? I _have _to make an appearance. We won't stay more than an hour."

"You _do _realize that you're going to show up with your fourteen-year-old brother _again, _right? People are going to talk."

Sarah shrugged and smiled. "Well, _we _know that it's not true, so what's the big deal?"

"I think you should call Bryson and tell him your date cancelled."

"But…"

"Just tell him that he found a date his _own _age."

Sarah's eyes brightened. "Toby, you finally asked Janice out?"

Toby frowned. "Not _finally_. And _yes, _I have a date with her. Friday."

"Well, then…aww, it doesn't matter. I'll just go alone."

Toby smirked. "And that means you have to mingle."

"Yeah, yeah. You're evil."

"And _you're _antisocial."

"I am _not _antisocial! I'm merely…uninterested in the company of men."

"Right."

"Yeah. Right."

Toby smiled at his sister. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if you're lesbian."

Sarah shrugged. "Well, I'm not. I've just never been interested in anyone."

"I don't believe that," Toby answered with a roll of his eyes.

"It's true! Nobody's ever caught my eye, or made me feel…you know…why are you suddenly talking to me about my love life?"

"Correction: _nonexistent _love life."

"Yeah, whatever. _I'm _supposed to talk _you _through _yours."_

"So…nobody's ever made you feel…I know?"

"We are _not _talking about this."

"No one at all?"

"Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Not even _one _person?"

"Toby! You're going to get in my car, and we're going home, and we are _not _talking about this!"

Toby grinned, and climbed into the passenger seat.

When they arrived home, Toby followed Sarah into the house through the garage door. She threw her keys into the bowl on the counter and tossed her purse onto the table. Sarah pushed a button on the answering machine, and the mechanical voice informed them that they had one message.

"Toby, do your homework before I get home. Sarah, if he doesn't do it before dinner you'd better not give him any dessert. I'll be back around seven," Karen's voice said.

Sarah looked at Toby, and then they both burst into laughter.

"How old does she think I am," Toby asked between laughs, "ten?"

Sarah shrugged and slowed her breathing. "Well, you'd better get on it, anyway. I don't want to skip the chocolate strawberries, so…get."

"Get?"

"What would you rather me say? Giddyap? Hop to it?"

"How about, 'Toby, do you have any homework?'"

Sarah sighed in mock-exasperation. "All right, then. Toby, do you have any homework?"

"Nope."

"All right, then. You can help me decide what to make before your mom gets home."

He nodded. _Before your mom gets home. _It was a small, but painful reminder of their dad.

They stood in front of the refrigerator for a moment, before Toby's next question couldn't be held in any longer. "Sarah?"

Sarah glanced at him. "What?"

"Do you think that Dad would be proud of us?"

Sarah closed the refrigerator and looked at him softly. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"Well…I dunno. I didn't know him very well, but I've heard you and my mom talk about him – when you're getting along, of course."

Sarah smiled slightly. "I think he'd be _really _proud of you, Toby. You're smart, doing well in school, and a hell of a lot better in the social department than I ever was."

"I guess…but what about you?"

"What _about_ me?"

"Do you think he'd be proud of you?"

Sarah paused for a moment. "Hey, come and sit on the couch with me. We'll talk more about this. We don't need to start cooking for a couple of hours anyway."

They left the kitchen and headed toward the couch in the living room. When they'd settled there, Sarah spoke again.

"Here's what I think, Toby. I think that whatever you do with your life, as long as you're not hurting people or whatever, that it's something to be proud of."

"Even if you're sad all the time?"

"Well, if you're sad all the time, then I don't think you'd be proud of _yourself, _would you?"

Toby shrugged. "I guess."

"Toby, is there something else going on?"

"Not with me."

Sarah looked at him oddly, but didn't say anything. Toby thought of something else.

"Hey, Sarah, when are you going to move?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Do you _want _me to?"

"Well, no, but…I mean, you're twenty-nine, and I _know _you and my mom are never going to be best friends. You _could _be on your own. I heard you tell Victoire that you _want _to be on your own. So…why aren't you?"

Sarah sighed. "Toby…it's hard to explain, but I'll do the best I can. Your mom and I may not be close, and I may want to live on my own…but Karen has _also _let me stay with you guys, and I'm helping out with stuff here."

"Like bills?"

"It doesn't matter. It's not _necessary, _but I like staying here with you."

"So…you're telling me that if you _did _move out, nothing would change," Toby mused to himself.

"I suppose…but I wouldn't get to see you every day, and you'd have to ride the bus."

"Oh no, the bus! Hide me!"

Sarah scowled. "Hey, I used to hate the bus."

"That's because you've always been antisocial."

"I am _not _antisocial!"

"Then why are you so defensive?"

Sarah opened her mouth, and then closed it. "You're too smart for your own good," she muttered darkly.

Toby grinned impishly. "That's one of my worst qualities."

Sarah shook her head and ruffled his hair fondly. "Listen, kid. You two would get on fine if I moved out. I just want to be there after your first date and stuff…you know, so I can tease you mercilessly when you walk through the door with a dopey smile on your face."

"Hey!"

Sarah laughed.

"So," said Toby slyly, "if you find a boyfriend, will you move out with _him?"_

"What is _with _you today? My love life is _not _up for discussion," Sarah said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I dunno. I just like teasing you."

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Sarah said dryly.

"Well, anyway…what if you found someone who would treat you like a queen?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want that?"

"I've seen all the books in your collection. You have a thing for fairytale kings and princes who fall in love with regular girls."

Sarah blanched. "That…was a long time ago!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I just saw one of your old books lying open the other day, and I figured you'd been reading it."

Sarah frowned. "Which one?"

"Labyrinth."

Sarah's eyes widened almost comically. "No, I wasn't reading that! It must've fallen off the shelf!"

"You're acting like it's a crime to read a book, Sarah."

"No…just _that _one."

"Because it's true?"

Sarah twisted her head to look him in the eyes. "_What?"_

Toby shrugged. "Well, it is."

"You…remember that?"

"Not in full detail. Mostly just flashes. You know, for all that the Goblin King was scary, he was a really cool guy. Fun."

"Oh, Toby…why didn't you say something? I've been wanting to apologize-"

Toby cut her off. "For crying out loud, Sarah! You've been a great sister. Get over it already! You have bigger things to worry about in regards to that story."

"Meaning?"

"You left your notebook on the couch a while back. I didn't know if it was mine or not, so I looked at the first page."

Sarah tensed. "And…what did it say?"

"Just how you didn't understand why you were drawn to him…that you'd have to get used to that _longing…"_

"Oh gods…when did you find this?"

"Years ago."

"Why didn't you say anything then?"

"Well, because I was nine, and because I didn't understand it. I just remembered today, actually."

"Oh, so you decided to grill me about my lo - dating life, and when you found out that I'm not interested, you figured the _Goblin King _would be an interesting choice?"

"Yes, because you love him."

Sarah closed her eyes. "You don't know that."

Toby sighed in exasperation. "Yes, actually, I _do. _Ever since I can remember, I've been able to…sense things, I guess. You _do _love him."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it."

Toby hesitated, but then put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sarah."

"For what?"

_Please, please don't hate me, Sarah._

"I…wish the goblins would come take you away. Right now."


End file.
